Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

Korean Rapprochement - Hope for Resolution of Maritime Disputes?

On April 26 Kim Jong-un became the first North Korean Leader to step foot on South Korean soil since the Korean War in the 1950’s. The leaders agreed to actively pursue talks for declaring an official end to the Korean War. This declaration could d

June 04, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Commentary, Korean maritime disputes, Korean maritime delimitation

Demilitarising the South China Sea: Concerted Efforts Needed

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF

Two of the most important topics during last year’s Shangri La Dialogue were ‘Upholding the rules-based regional order’ and demilitarisation of the South China Sea in the shape of a discussion on practical ‘measures to avoid conflict at sea�

May 30, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Article, South China Sea, Shangri La Dialogue

India and North Korea: Future Directions

Amb Anil Wadhwa, Distinguished Fellow, VIF

India has always maintained a good working relationship with North Korea. Our bilateral trade, in recent years at best has been in the range of US$ 200-250 million but North Korea has always valued Indian food aid which was made available at regular

May 29, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Commentary, India-North Korea relations, Denuclearisation of Korean Peninsula

Commentary: Minister of State for External Affairs Visits North Korea

Amb Skand Ranjan Tayal

Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Gen V.K. Singh’s official visit to the Democratic Peoples’ Republic of Korea (DPRK) on 15-16 May 2018 has attracted wide attention. A ministerial visit to North Korea was after a long gap of almost twe

May 22, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Ministerial visit to North Korea, India-North Korea relations

Commentary: India Should Be Innovative in the Challenging Times Ahead

Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF

Prime Minister Modi has shown remarkable innovativeness in foreign policy arena recently. This shows that he is cognisant of the challenges for India that are looming ahead. The ‘informal summit’ with Xi Jinping in April 2018 was an attempt to

May 21, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Commentary, Indian foreign policy, India’s foreign policy challenges

Commentary: Will Japan Carry the Bastion of Constitution Amendment After Abe?

Prerna Gandhi, Associate Fellow, VIF

“角を矯めて牛を殺す” (Kill a bull by straightening its horns, meaning: Action taken to put something right is often more unpleasant or damaging than the original problem) The above quote succinctly

May 16, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Commentary, Japanese Constitution, Japan’s Defence Policy

ASEAN Summit at Singapore: Urgent Need for a Legally Binding Code of Conduct in South China Sea

Brig Vinod Anand, Senior Fellow, VIF

The 32^nd edition of Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit took place in Singapore in from 25-28 April where the central theme of the meeting was envisioned as ‘Resilient and Innovative ASEAN’. While the South East Asia

May 11, 2018 International Relations and Diplomacy, Indo-Pacific, Commentary, South China Sea Code of Conduct, China’s militarisation of SCS